Canadian singer/songwriter Esthero has released three studio albums, two extended plays, and seven singles as a lead artist. Her debut album, Breath from Another, was released with Doc McKinney in 1998. The album initially unsuccessful, though it eventually managed to sell more than 110,000 copies in the US and more than 50,000 in Canada. The record spawned three singles: "Breath from Another", "Heaven Sent", and "That Girl". "Heaven Sent" went into moderate rotation on MTV and peaked in the top 5 on the Hot Dance Breakouts Single Sales chart. Breath from Another received a nomination at the 1999 Juno Awards, in the category of "Best Alternative Album." However, it lost to Rufus Wainwright's eponymous debut album.
After her label, Work Group, was consumed by a larger label, Esthero was released from her contract; in the years between her dropping from the label and the release of her next EP, she provided guest vocals for songs by a variety of artists, including Ian Pooley, Nelly Furtado, and Black Eyed Peas. Her Black Eyed Peas collaboration, "Weekends," gave her her first chart entry in the US; it peaked at number 64 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart. Her Ian Pooley collaboration, "Balmes (A Better Life)", was a top 75 hit on the UK Singles Chart; it also gave her her first top 40 hit on the US Dance Club Songs chart. She also recorded a solo song, "O.G. Bitch", which was released in 2004 and topped the US Dance Club Songs chart.
In 2004, she released an EP titled We R In Need of a Musical Revolution. The EP was met with praise from critics and spawned a single of the same name; the video went into rotation on MuchMusic Canada. The following year, she released her sophomore album, Wikked Lil' Grrrls, which spawned the hit single "Fastlane", which earned Esthero a second top 5 hit on the Dance Club Songs chart. After the release of the album, Esthero continued to provide guest vocals, and wrote music for other artists, including Kanye West and Kidz in the Hall. She finally returned with solo material in 2012 with Everything Is Expensive, which she funded using pledges from PledgeMusic. The album spawned one single, "Never Gonna Let You Go", which was a minor hit in Canada, earning her her first chart entry there.
Studio albums Title Details Peak chart positions Sales/Certifications USHeat. Breath from Another Released: 28 April 1998 Label: Work, Columbia, Sony Music Formats: CD, cassette — CAN: 50,000 US: 118,000 Wikked Lil' Grrrls Released: 28 June 2005 Label: Reprise Formats: CD 24 Everything Is Expensive Released: 30 October 2012 Label: XL, Columbia Formats: Digital download, CD, LP 13 "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Extended plays Title Details Short of Breath Released: 1998 Label: Work Format: CD We R in Need of a Musical Revolution! Released: 23 November 2004 Label: Warner Bros. Format: CD
Singles As lead artist + List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album Title Year Peak chart positions Album CAN USDance "Breath from Another" 1998 — — Breath from Another "Heaven Sent" — — "That Girl" — — "O.G. Bitch" 2003 — 1 "We R in Need of a Musical Revolution" 2004 — — Wikked Lil' Grrrls "Fastlane" (featuring Jemeni and Jelleestone) 2005 — 5 "Never Gonna Let You Go" 2012 72 — Everything Is Expensive "You're A Mean One, Mr Grinch"2017 — — rowspan="4" "Baby Steps"2019 — — "Gimme Some Time" — — "Emotional Animal"2020 — —
As featured artist Title Year Peak chartpositions Album AUS UK US Dance "Weekends" (The Black Eyed Peas featuring Esthero) 2000 93 — — Bridging the Gap "Balmes (A Better Life)" (Ian Pooley featuring Esthero) 2001 — 65 35 Since Then "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other charted songs Title Year Peak Album US "Undertow" (Timbaland featuring The Fray and Esthero) 2009 100 Shock Value II "Can You Feel It" (Timbaland featuring Sebastian (rapper) and Esthero) 2009 - Shock Value II
Other guest appearances Title Year Lead artist Album "Country Livin' (The World I Know)"1998 Goodie Mob Slam "Final Home (vocal version)" DJ Krush Kakusei "Song for Holly" 1999 Esthero featuring Danny Saber Go "The Hero"2000 j. englishman Poor Lil' Rockstar "Don't Wanna Be Your Slave" Michie Mee The First Cut Is the Deepest "Priceless" Rascalz Global Warning "Tao of Now"2001 Saul Williams Amethyst Rock Star "I Feel You" Nelly Furtado Whoa, Nelly! "The Universal Quest" Lisa Lopes Supernova "How Could I?"2002 John Forté I, John "Run for Your Life" Jarvis Church Shake It Off "Keep the Beat" WarChild Canada Much Dance 2003 "The Streets Where You Live" The Buried Heart Project Women & Songs 6 "White Rabbit"2003 Blue Man Group The Complex "Heaven" Sugar Ray In Pursuit of Leisure "Coming Down" The Oddities The Scenic Route "One Life" Last Emperor and Poetic Music, Magic, Myth "Summertime"2004 Mos Def Mos Def Presents Medina Green "Life" Artists for WarChild Canada Much Dance 2004 "Summer Breeze" Onda The Isley Brothers - Taken to the Next Phase "Too Rude" 2005 Carmen Rizzo The Lost Art of the Idle Moment "Shine"2006 Boney James Shine "Another Great Love Gone By" Vikter Duplaix Bold and Beautiful "Make U Fly" Zion I & The Grouch Heroes in the City of Dope "Yes We Can"2008 will.i.am — "Street Lights" Kanye West 808s & Heartbreaks "Can You Feel It?" 2009 Timbaland Shock Value II "Wavin' Flag" (K'naan cover)2010 Young Artists for Haiti — "Spaceship" Stat Quo Statlanta "That Good"2011 Kidz in the Hall Occasion "Don't Pass Me By"' Spree Wilson The Never Ending Now "21 Jump Street"2012 Rye Rye — "Firecracker"2017 Michael Bernard Fitzgerald Yes "Me & U"2018 Parker Lane REPLAY "Falling (Acoustic)"2020 Chin Injeti — "Get It"2022 Phlake Phine "Famous (Esthero's Version)" Michael Bernard Fitzgerald Love Valley Rearranged (Deluxe)
Music videos Title Year Director Ref. "Heaven Sent" 1998 Philip Harder "That Girl" Patrick Hoelck "Weekends"2000 Brian Beletic "Balmes (A Better Life)"2001 Max Zimmerman "We R in Need of a Musical Revolution"2004 Noble Jones "Never Gonna Let You Go"2012 Sean Michael Turrell "Emotional Animal"2020 Giovanni & Niccolo Cerretelli
References